Device for feeding scrap tobacco



Q 2 1 O 927 w. B. BRONANDER DEVICE FOR FEEDING SCRAP TOBACCO Fil ed Jan. 13, 1926 and Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILHELM B. BRONANDER, 0F MON'ICL AIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO INTER- NATIONAL CIGAR MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR FEEDING SCRAP TOBACCO.

Application filed January 13, 1926. Serial No. 81,017.

This invention relates to an improved device for feeding scrap tobacco, particularly to cigar making machines.

Devices for feeding small scraps of tobacco to cigar making machines are known and successful when the tobacco is in the proper order or condition. But, in the manufacture of certain kinds of cigars in certain climates, large scraps of tobacco are unavoidably produced and must be handled in a very damp condition. The machines which successfully feed small bacco in a slightly damp condition will not handle these large and very damp scraps at all, for the latter tend to adhere one to another more than the former, and to resist the separation and re-assemblage which is necessary in taking the tobacco from a mass re-arranging it in a sheet or stream from which charges for cigar filler maybe separated. Moreover, in the mass, the larger scraps may lie pointed in many directions, while in the sheet or stream they must lie lengthwise, in order that they may so lie in the separated charges of filler. Neither of these difliculties is involved in the use of the known machines for feeding bacco. The main object of the present invention is the production of a device which overcomes these .difliculties and is capableof use in a hot and damp climate as well as in more temperate climates and which will handle not only small scrap tobacco in slightly damp condition but also large scrap small scrap totobacco in very damp condition. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifi cally pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

. In the accompanying drawings, .which form a' part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a device constructed inaccordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the upper part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and shown in part in section; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3.3 in Fig.

2; Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary sectional view.

showin in who 4 and Fig.5 is aksimilar view showmg a prethe swinging hopper in the position scraps of towithin it delivers tobacco to the conveyor,

when inactive for delivering tobacco to the conveyor.

In carrying the invention into effect, there is provided a source of scrap tobacco supply, and a conveyor receiving tobacco from said source. There is further provided mechanism for moving said source of supply to cause it to periodically deliver a predetermined quantity of tobacco to said conveyor and to retain all in excess thereof. It has been found that by so moving a source of supply, large and very damp scraps of tobacco contained therein, being constantly kept in motion and tumbled about during the movements of the source, will not adhere together and choke the delivery of the tobacco from said source, but will be freely delivered therefrom in predetermined quantities controlled by the formation of the parts adjacent the conveyor which in turn cause any excess over this predetermined quantity to. fall back into the source of means including devices for leveling and straightening the tobacco scraps on said conveyor. In the best construction also, there vis further provided means for compacting the re-arranged tobacco.

The foregoing means, parts, may be widely varied in construction the scope of the claims, for the specific structure selected to illustrate the invention is but one of numerous possible concrete embodiments of the same. vention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

Referring tothe drawings. there is provided a conveyor belt 6 which runs in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2. This belt overrides a pulley 7 and another pulley not shown which is driven by one of the shafts of the machine in connection with "which the device is used. The pulley 7 -is determined quantity of tobacco which hasp supported by a pedestal 8and bracket 9 mechanism, and

The infrom the bedlO of the machine in connection with which the device is used.

The source of supply is in the form of a hopper 11 which is pivotally mounted alongside the belt 6 on trunnion screws 12, one of which is carried byv a bracket 13 attached to the bracket 9, while the other is supported by a boss in the front wall 14 of the feed channel composed of the walls 14 and 15 rising alongside the belt 6 and. running parallel therewith. The hopper 11 has a hinged cover 16 and is moved by a rod 17 attached to the cross frame 18 of the hopper. The rod 17 is connected with and operated by a crank 19 fast on a shaft 20 which is driven by means of the sprockets 21 and 22 and the chain 23 from a shaft 24 which is one of the main shafts of the machine in connection with which the device is used. By means of the structureso far described, the hopper is swung between positions over and at one side of the'belt 6, and the crank 19 insures harmonious movementsof the hopper which aresufiicient to keep the tobacco therein in motion but without abrupt action.

In its vertical position over the belt 6, the hopper 11 bears against *a stop 25 supported by the pedestal 8. A portion of the side wall 26 of the hopper adjacent the feed channel is cut away to permit the initial rakers to enter the hopper, a side. flap 27, carried by the feed channel wall 14. being provided to close the cut away side of the hop er mouth as the hopper moves back and orth, and thus prevent spillage of tobacco through said cut away side. Spillage from the hopper front, below the axis 28 onwhich the hopper turns, is prevented by a guard 29 which is supported at one end from the wall 14 ofv the feed channel, and at the other end from the trunnion screw bracket 13. When the hopper is in the position shown in Fig. 4. its back wall is in contact with per is free to fall upon the belt 6, which underruns the hopper when receiving tobacco therefrom. When the hopper is swung outwardly and downwardly to. the position shown inFig. 5, however, it carries with it all the tobacco withinit except. the quantity on the belt 6 which is predetermined by the capacity of theretainingwalls 25 and 29, all tin excess of "this uantlty falling back into the hopper, as. The deviceis so constructed and pro;

ortloned that this predetermined quantity is slightly more than s required before another deposit .of 't obacco on the belt 6 occurs. .The purpo se. ofv'this is to, insure the. delivery ofw'a' predetermined ultimate quantity in a gi'yen period to the cigar making machinm -"The excess bver the proximate predetermined quan tity falls back the entering tobacco.

point being per and ultimately discharged thereinto.

icated in Fig.

menace the hopper by devices which will be presently described.

By an inspection of Fig. 5, it will noted that there is more tobacco 'on one side of the belt 6 than on they other. This tobacco must "be leveled on the conveyor, and the long scraps-must be turned so that they will lie along'the conveyor if they are not already lying in that direction. This is accom lished as follows: As the charge deposite on the belt 6 by the hopper 11 is carried by \the belt between the walls 14 and 15 of the feed channel, it comes within the range of action of a series of S-shaped rakers which radually level the stream of tobacco, straig ten long scraps which need it, and throw back all tobacco in excess of the ultimate quantity required for final delivery. First, two rakers 30 and 31 fast on a shaft 32 of'the raker unit revolve near the entrance of the feed channel, raking back excess tobacco and leveling the charge,

vthe front raker 30 being made extra lon and being set close to the feed channel We '14, so as to always keep a clear passage for Next a. number of rakers 33 mounted onshafts 34 and staggered about with respect to the width of the feed channel are encountered by the advancing tobacco, the successive shafts 34 being nearer the feed belt as the tobacco advances, thereby gradually trimming or leveling the tobacco down to the required thickness, all excess tobacco at any1 given.

thrown back towards hophe rak'er shafts 32 and 34 are mounted in a split gear box 35, each shaft having mounted on it a spur gear 36 meshing with an intermediate gear 37.

The driving shaft 32 of the raker unit, which passes through the outside wallfof the gear box and beyond the bearing 38, carries a sprocket 39 which is driven by a chain not shown but deriving its motio'n from one of the shafts of the machine in connection with which the device is used. The raker shafts 34 operate in arcuate and 15 of the'feed channel,1so that the whole raker unit may be swung upwardly about the axis of the shaft 32 K or ms ection purposes when desired, or for justing the rakers nearer desired.

After the .sheet or stream of tobacco has been properly leveled and otherwiseuniformly re-arranged on the advancing conveyor, it passes under a compactin roller 41 which has a-knurled perimeter, an which is as wide as the feed mounted on a-shaft 42 an ported by the channehwalls 14 and 1 5, andh slots 40 in the walls 14 channel. This roller is .120 or farther from the belt 6 when yabearing 43.

J It is driven by a sprocket 44 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, said sprocket deriving its motion from one of the shafts of the machine in connection with which the de vice is used.

I The belt 6 carries the measured, leveled,

straightened, and compacted tobacco to a final delivery point not shown, as to a cigar making machine.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of supply, a conveyor receiving tobacco from said source, and

mechanism for moving said source to cause it to periodically deliver. tobacco in excess ,of a predetermined quantity to said conveyor and to remove the excess therefrom. I

2. A device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of supply, a conveyor receiving tobacco from said source, mechanism for moving said source to cause it to periodically deliver tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity to saidconveyor and to remove the excess therefrom, and means for uniformly re-arrangingthe tobacco on said conveyor. i

3. A device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of supply, a conveyor receiving tobacco from said source, mechanism for moving said source to cause it to periodically dellver tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity to said conveyor and to remove excess therefrom, and means for uniformly re-arran ing the tobacco on'said conveyor and for t rowing back any excess tobacco not removed by said mechanism.

4. A device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of supply, a conveyor receiving tobacco from said source, mechanism for moving said source to cause it to periodically deliver tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity to said conveyor and to remove the excess'therefrom, and means for leveling and stra'ghtening the tobacco scraps on said conveyor.

5. A device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of supply, a conve or receiving .tobacco from said source, mec anism for moving said source to cause it to periodically deliver tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity to said conveyor and to remove the excess therefrom, means for uniformly re-arranging the tobacco on said conveyor, and means for arranged tobacco.

6. A. device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of su ly, a conveyor receiving' tobacco from said source, and mechanism for moving said source to cause it to periodically deliver tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity to said conveyor and to remove the excess therefrom, said conveyor including a belt which underruns said source when receiving tobacco.

7.- A device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of supply, a conveyor recelving tobacco from said source, and mechanism for moving said source to cause it to periodically deliver tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity to .said conveyor and to remove the'excess therefrom, said mechanism including 'an actuating crank for producing a harmonious movement of said source. 8. A device for feeding scrap tobacco, comprising a source of supply, a conveyor receiving tobacco from said source, and mechanism for moving said source to cause it to periodically deliver tobacco in excess of a predetermined quantity to said conveyor and to remove the excess therefrom, said source including a hopper pivotally mounted alongside said conveyor to swing between positions over and at one side of said conveyor, and said mechanism including a crank and a rod connecting said crank with said hopper. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILHELM B. BRONANDER.

compacting the re- 

